Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki

Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki is the Chief Executive Officer of the African Union Development Agency. He was appointed to the position in January 2009. A former Prime Minister of Niger, from 1997 to 2000, Dr. Mayaki has a Masters degree from the National School of Public Administration (ENAP), Quebec, Canada and a PhD in Administrative Sciences from the University of Paris, France. He worked as a Professor of Public Administration in Niger and Venezuela. From 1996 to 1997 he was appointed Minister in charge of African Integration and Cooperation and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Niger.
In August 2000, he set up the Analysis Centre for Public Policy in Senegal. From 2000 to 2004, Dr. Mayaki was a guest Professor at the University of Paris XI, where he lectured on international relations. He also led research at the Research Centre on Europe and the Contemporary World within that university. In 2004, he served as Executive Director of the Platform in support of Rural Development in West and Central Africa, the Rural Hub, based in Dakar, Senegal.

Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid

Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid is the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission (AUC). She is in charge of sectors covering Energy, Transport, Tourism and ICT. Prior to joining the AUC, Dr. Abou-Zeid has served for more than 30 years in leadership roles at top-tier international organisations, such as the African Development Bank (AfDB), UNDP and USAID, with a focus on infrastructure and energy programmes.
Over her career, Dr. Abou-Zeid has amassed a rare mix of experience from across Africa, France, UK and Canada. She has managed large and complex development programmes, including the largest operations portfolio of the African Development Bank (AfDB). An Egyptian national, Dr. Abou-Zeid speaks French, English, Arabic and Spanish. She is a trained telecommunications engineer with an MBA in project management from the French University for African Development (Université Senghor), a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Social and Economic Development from University of Manchester, UK. She also has a degree in Arts from Université Sorbonne-Paris IV.
Dr. Abou-Zeid has received numerous international awards and recognition for her leadership and excellence, including the medal of Wissam Alaouite de l’Ordre Officier from His Majesty King Mohamed VI of Morocco and being recognised as a World Young Leader by the European Union.

Barbara Schäfer

Barbara Schäfer is the Counsellor at the German Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Addis Ababa; Head of development cooperation with the African Union and its related organs/ agencies. She started her early career working for the Prague German Newspaper in Prague, Czech Republic then later became an Editor at the German Newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. She later became the spokesperson of the Federal German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. Barbara went to become the Team leader for the preparation of the German G8 presidency (“Heiligendamm”) in the Federal German ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and since resumed different positions in various departments of the Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development: G8 division, Health division, Refugees and Migration division. Barbara holds a Master of Arts degree with focus on East European History and Russian Linguistics.

Carla Montesi

Carla Montesi is currently Director at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Development and Cooperation. She has been responsible for the Directorate “Planet and Prosperity” since September 2018. Before that (2014-2018) she was Director for Western and Central Africa. Prior to 2014, she was Director at the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Initially responsible for fisheries conservation, control and structural actions for the Mediterranean and Black Sea, she has piloted maritime policy as well as fisheries and funding for the Baltic Sea, North Sea and Landlocked Member States.
Formerly a lawyer in Italy who specialised in European affairs at the College of Europe in Bruges, Mrs Montesi’s earlier career encompassed diverse responsibilities in the field of EU external policy for development and cooperation both at Headquarters and in EU Delegations in Africa, as well as experience in the Cabinet of EU Commissioner Emma Bonino for External Policy and Humanitarian Affairs.

Alvino Wildschutt-Prins

Alvino Wildschutt-Prins is the International Investment Partnership Specialist at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and also acts as the Relationship Manager for the Sustainable Development Investment Partnership (SDIP) Africa Hub, hosted by the DBSA. The SDIP is a collaborative initiative coordinated by the World Economic Forum with support from the OECD, comprised of public, private and philanthropic institutions from around the world. Alvino has over ten years’ experience in Policy and Research analysis, infrastructure Project and Programme Management. Alvino previously occupied the Infrastructure Programme Specialist position within the International Finance Division of the DBSA. During this period he developed a repository of knowledge around all matters related to infrastructure corridor development in Africa. Furthermore, he is responsible for building effective stakeholder relations with key players in the local and international market, strategic planning and works closely with project preparation and investment officers of the DBSA. Alvino managed the packaging of the Central Corridor shortlisted phase 1 projects for the DBSA in partnership with the Business Working Group of the WEF and the CCTTFA in preparation for the first High Level Industry and Investor’s Summit in Tanzania. Alvino further also project managed
the value proposition initiative around the North-South Corridor which was presented to the SADC regional community. Alvino holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa and is currently completing his Master’s degree in Commerce, specialising in Development Finance, at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Mr. Moctar Yedaly, is the Head of Information Society, Department of Infrastructure and PIDA PAP 2. He spearheaded creation of action plans and coordination strategies to establish regional economic, public safety, and public works programs in rural African regions. Chosen by international community two year as Chair of Global Forum on Cybersecurity Expertise and Chair of Public Safety Committee. Led successful negotiation of several MoU and agreements with international institutions. He is currently leading the development of Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa aiming among other things at diffusing ICTs in all Socio-economic sectors (Health, Education, Agriculture, Transport, Energy, Commerce, etc.) and management of Internet Critical Resources (IP, DNS). The strategy is ready to be presented for adoption to the Heads of States in January 2020. Mr Yedaly also conceived,mobilized resources for and launched the Policy & Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) aiming at developing African capacities on Internet Governance and coordinating harmonization of ICTs Policies and Regulations development processes. He Coordinated preparation and adoption of the “African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection” by African Heads of State Summit. He Developed and launched comprehensive Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) program adopted as master plan for ICT, Energy, Transport, and Trans boundary Water including new innovative approach to unlocking access to basic services to rural areas. He designed and implemented the “Dot Africa” DNS Project; Initiated ICANN strategy for Africa; Member of ICANN GAC. He had opportunities to speak in many conferences and to organize Heads of State and Government summits as well as Ministerial conferences. He regularly interacts with these Senior officials and executives ratification of the AU Convention on Cyber-Security.

Dr. Towela Nyirenda Jere

Dr. Towela Nyirenda Jere works in the Economic Integration Division at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) as a Principal Programme Officer focusing on policy, legal and regulatory aspects of infrastructure and services. She is an electrical engineer with 20 years’ experience working in the private sector, academia and currently in international development. Towela brings knowledge and experience in dealing with policy, legal and regulatory issues to advance implementation of projects in the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA). Among other things, she has participated in projects in job creation estimation for infrastructure projects, a proposed center of excellence for infrastructure regulation and establishment of multi-stakeholder processes for the ICT sector. She holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering (Networking and Telecommunications) from the University of Kansas, a Master of Arts in Contemporary Diplomacy (Internet Governance), an ACCA Diploma in Financial Management and is a qualified Project Management Professional (PMP) with the Project Management Institute (USA).

Dr. Phera S. Ramoeli

Dr. Phera S. Ramoeli is currently the Executive Secretary of the Okavango River Basin Commission since October 2018, after serving as Senior Program Officer in Directorate of Infrastructure and Services – Water Division, SADC Secretariat for over 15 years. He was responsible for the coordination and facilitation of the implementation of the SADC Program of Action in Water. He has been working in the water sector for at least 20 years over 14 of this in Transboundary Water Resources management at the SADC Level. Mr. Ramoeli has a Masters Degree in Aquatic Resources Management from the Kings College, University of London, A Post Graduate Diploma in Operational Hydrology from Institute of Meteorological Training and research in Nairobi, and BSc in Biology and Chemistry from the National University of Lesotho.

Professor Martin NDENDE

Professor Martin NDENDE is currently:Senior Regional Advisor (Legal and Policy) at the United Nations “Economic Commission for Africa” (ECA) in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, and the Coordinator of the Team of specialists on “Blue Economy and Governance of Maritime Affairs”, One of the ECA’s key expert contributing to the generation of knowledge in Natural resources, Extractive industries, Economic negotiations, and the Blue economy works, Providing legal and policy advisory services to the member States and capacity building in these same areas. Prof. Ndende has worked for 20 years as a full Professor of Law at the Faculty of Law and Political sciences of the University of Nantes (France), and has been the Director of the Institute of International Trade, Maritime Affairs and Transportation Europe-ACP (1999-2014), Deputy Director of the Centre of Maritime and Ocean Law (1999-2010), International Barrister and Senior elected member of the French Institute of International Legal Experts (IFEJI), Arbitrator at the Paris Maritime Arbitration Chamber, Consultant for the United Nations “International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea” (ITLOS, located in Hamburg, Germany). He is also a visiting Professor in several Universities in Europe, North America, and Africa (mainly: University of Paris I, Pantheon-Sorbonne / Tulane University, New-Orleans, USA / Ottawa University, Canada / Universities of Yaoundé-II and Douala, Cameroon / Cheikh Anta Diop University Dakar, Senegal among others. Professor NDENDE holds the prestigious Medal of “Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Maritime” of the French Republic.

Mfon Ekong Usoro

Mfon Ekong Usoro holds a Maritime Law from the University College London, 1998 and a Barrister at Law (BL), Second Class Upper Division from the Nigerian Law School in 1996. She holds an LLB (Hons), Second Class Upper Division from the University of Buckingham, Buckingham, United Kingdom, 1994; B.Sc (Hons) Sociology, Second Class Upper Division from the University of Calabar, 1983. She has worked as the Secretary General, Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central African Region (Abuja MoU), a regional Inter-Governmental Organization of 22 -member States. The first female Secretary General of Abuja MoU. Pioneer Director General/CEO of the Nigerian
Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and first female Chief Executive Officer of Federal Government transport agency 2006/2007. As a consultant, she worked with a team of continental experts to produce the African Maritime Transport Charter 2009. Chairperson, Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Finalization of the National Transport Policy of Nigeria, Chairperson, Akwa Ibom State Technical Committee on the Development of Ibom Deep Seaport and Ibom Industrial City. She is a Member of the African Network for Women in Infrastructure (ANWIn) set up by African Union Commission, 2018. Managing Partner (on leave of absence), Paul Usoro & Co, a leading law firm in Nigeria. Maritime Legal Consultant to the Maritime Organization for West and Central Africa (MOWCA) drafted and negotiated the and environment sectors. She is a non-Executive Director (Independent), The Infrastructure Bank, Non-Executive Director (Independent), First City Monument Bank, Non-Executive Director, Board of Geometric Power Limited. Chairperson, Board of Directors of TIB Asset Management Limited.

Mr. Imed Zammit

Mr. Imed Zammit holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mathematics, Science (1983) Naval Officer, Naval Academy (Tunisia 1987), Captain First Class Graduate Degree, Naval Academy (Tunisia 1990), High-level Post-Graduate Degree in Maritime Law and Transport Law (Aix en Provence, France,1991).
He has 28 years of experience in the maritime field (Navy, Merchant Navy, Maritime Authority) 2011-until today has held several senior posts in the Ministry of Transport, Deputy Director General of the Tunisian Shipping Company and Chief Executive Officer of the Merchant Marine and Ports Authority, and General manager of Mediterranean maritime institute 2007-2011, Head of Maritime and Inland Water Transport Unit, African Union Commission: Update of the African Maritime Transport Charter, drafting of the first African resolution on strengthening security and safety, and protection of the marine environment with a the preparation of the Plan of Action on Maritime Transportation. He was the Deputy Director Ministry of transport from 1991-2007 ad participated in the elaboration and implementation of the Five Year Plan (1991-2001, 2002-2006) in maritime, port policy and strategy development, and strengthening of maritime safety and security in the Tunisian Ministry of Transport. Member of the committees to reform and update the International Conventions, Code of Policy and Navigation at Sea, Ports Code (ISPS Code) and the Code of Merchant Navy. Imed is also a Lecturer at the Naval Academy and School of Merchant Navy in the field of Maritime Legislation, Maritime Safety and Security, and Pollution for the Naval Officer and Coast Guard personnel over a 15-year period and the President of the Tunisian Association of Maritime Law.

Daniel Tanoe

Daniel Tanoe is the Chief of Section Investment Policy Section, Trade, Regional Integration and Infrastructure Division. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Business Administration), MBA (with Distinction) New York Institute of Technology Certificate in General Project Planning, (World Bank Economic Development Institute, Washington DC). He was previously the Associate Programme Management Officer, Technical Assistance Co-operation and Co-ordination Office Economic Affairs Officer, Special Assistant to the ECA Executive Secretary, Office of the Executive Secretary and the Chief of Section, Regional Integration Section, Trade, Regional Integration and Infrastructure Division 2015-2016.

Dr Kofi Henaku

Dr. Mbiah Henaku is a Barrister at Law. He holds a Masters in Marine Management, (M.M.M.) from Dalhousie University, Canada, a Master of Laws, (LL.M.), from the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) Malta, where he graduated with distinction and was the recipient of the IMO Secretary General’s Award for Best Overall Performance. Dr. Mbiah also obtained a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, in 2005. He obtained his PhD. in Maritime Administration from the World Maritime University, Sweden in 2011. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators U.K. (MCIArb). and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (FCILT).
He started his working career at Ghana Shippers Authority in 1982 as an Assistant Legal Officer and rose through the ranks by dint of hard work to become the Chief Executive Officer in 1998. A position he held for 19 years. Dr. Mbiah is the immediate past chairman of the Legal Committee of the International Maritime Organisation. A position he held for 6 years. Served as Chairman of the Union of African Shippers Councils from 2016 to 2017.
Since 2006 till date, Dr Mbiah has served at various times as a visiting professor at the World Maritime and Lund Universities in Malmo, Sweden and at the IMO International Maritime Law Institute in Malta. Dr Mbiah has also served as a resource person and maritime law expert at various international seminars and conferences including CMI conferences and Maritime Law seminars for judges in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria.
He has published articles in local and international magazines and journals. In 2015, the IMO appointed Dr. Mbiah to the Board of Governors of IMLI. He is a proud recipient of many awards for excellence including the IMLI International Achievement Award 2013 and the World Maritime University Outstanding Alumnus Award 2019. Dr Mbiah is an IMO Consultant and also works He also works with ALLIANCE PARTNERS as a Private Legal Practitioner and a Maritime Law and Management Consultant with SHIIPMAN Consult.He is presently the CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Shipping.

Joan Miquel

Joan Miquel is Partner at ALG with more than 20 years of experience overseeing consultancy and engineering projects in the areas of transport and logistics, covering the entire business and infrastructure life cycles, from strategy to implementation. He has wide experience in managing and overseeing transport and transaction projects from international organizations as well as national ministries. His logistic expertise benefits from his mastery of the various transport modes that make up the logistics chain including roads, rail, maritime, and air freight. This experience is further enhanced by his detailed understanding of private sector interests in transport and macro-logistics operations and how they relate to the public sector objectives in regional economic development. Currently, he is responsible for business development in the African market, having developed projects in more than 25 African countries.

Ghada Darwish

Ghada Darwish is a Mechanical Engineer with almost 20 years of experience in development of public and private industrial and energy projects representing international engineering companies, equipment suppliers and EPC contractors (sugar, food processing, energy and renewable energy). In 2015, Ghada was selected one of TOP 50 Women shaping the Egyptian Economy and part of TOP50Women forum, was board member and vice chairman of the Egyptian Junior Business Association and currently the secretary general of Benban Solar Energy Developers Association and also board member of Egyptian Independent Power Producers Association representing the solar energy sector on the board. Furthermore, Ghada worked for more than 10 years as government relations and communications expert for environment protection, water & wastewater treatment and corporate governance projects, funded by EU, OECD and UN agencies.

H.E. Ambassador Mrs. Maya Morsy

Maya Morsy is an Egyptian political scientist and specialist in public policy. She has been President of Egypt’s National Council for Women (NCW), a government body, since February 2016. Before being elected to lead the NCW, Morsy had served as regional gender team leader for the United Nations Development Programme in Cairo and country program manager for the United Nations Development Fund for Women. She has been described as “one of the best public policy experts on social gender in Egypt, and perhaps even in all of the Arab world”. The NCW was created in 2000 by Egypt’s former president, Hosni Mubarak, and led by Suzanne Mubarak. Its board was disbanded after the Egyptian revolution of 2011 and reorganized in 2012.

Dr. Chantal Colle

Dr. Chantal Colle comes from the world of politics, communication and business. Throughout her career, she has been able to use her know-how and put her knowledge at the service of development and democracy. Dr. Colle was the communications advisor of former Senegalese President Abdou Diouf, when she was approached by the Guinean political class, who invited her to work for the President of the Republic of Guinea, Lansana Conte. Dr. Colle currently serves as the Advisor to the President of Guinea on Renewable Energy.

Monique Ntumngia

Monique Ntumngia is a renewable energy entrepreneur from Cameroon. She is an unapologetic feminist who believes that women and girls deserve the same equal opportunities that men are entitled to. She is the founder of the Green Girls Organisation an NGO based in Cameroon that trains exclusively women and girls in African rural communities on how to generate energy from the sun and waste using a unique scoring model(MNKB92). She is also the founder of Monafrik Energy a company she founded in 2016 that carries out solar installations. Her work in providing access to clean and affordable energy in African rural communities specifically to women and girls who are a marginalised group and the primary victims of the energy crisis Africa and the world at large is facing, portray her values of service to not only her country Cameroon but Africa and the world at large.

Yagouba Traore

Yagouba Traore has been working on regional and continental infrastructure development for several years, coordinating the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) at the African Union Commission. PIDA is continental framework which aims to put in place a vision, policies, strategies as well as priority regional and continental infrastructure development projects in the sectors of transport, energy, water, and ICT. Yoububa manages the development of an integrated corridor approach for PIDA which define the selection of new priority list of regional and continental projects for the next decade (2021-2030).

Moses Ntlamelle

Moses Ntlamelle is a Senior Programme Officer- energy at the SADC Secretariat with responsibility to oversee and coordinate energy programmes and projects that ensure the availability of sufficient, reliable, integrated and least cost energy infrastructure and services that support and sustain regional economic and social development, trade and investments for poverty reduction in the SADC Region. He has previously worked within the Department of Energy, Lesotho as the Principal Energy Officer and Head of Project Monitoring Division responsible for formulation of energy policy, development and management energy and projects; Senior Energy Engineer prepared proposals for hydropower and other renewable energy development programmes and projects in Lesotho including renewable energy based rural electrification projects;Principal Technical Officer – Power Section Coordinated the reform and restructuring of the power sector that resulted in establishment of Electricity regulator and Rural Electrification Unit in Lesotho. Programme in Engineering Management MSc (Applied Science) in Energy Studies and a BSc majoring in Physics and Physical Geography.

Masilo Phakoe started his career as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and has worked in senior management positions in several parastatals spanning agriculture, cooperatives and the manufacturing sector before joining the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority. He was briefly assigned to the Strategic Leadership and Management of the LHDA and served as a Board Member in other organisations. He has been trained in several areas including training in Governance, Risks and ethics, Risk Management, Conflict management and Project Management. He has experience in diverse areas of business management that include planning, monitoring and evaluation and oversight of large-scale multifaceted contracts dealing with a range of technical, social, environmental and developmental dimensions.
He currently heads the Public Relations Team of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority. In that position, he has facilitated and made presentations during several transboundary related site visits to the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. These include site visits by delegations from the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), The Nile River Initiative (NBI); The Eastern Nile Parliamentarians; The Kyrgyz-Tajik SADC Study Tour; The Ethiopian Delegation and the site visit by the delegates from Kurdistan and countries sharing the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Mr Phakoe was also part time lecturer at the National University of Lesotho, lecturing in strategy; small business Management, marketing and operations Management He holds a BA degree in Economics from the National University of Lesotho and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, Dublin, Ireland. He has travelled widely in USA, South America, Europe and Africa.

Younes Touitha

Younes Touitha, is a Technical Expert Infrastructure of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) based in the Arab Maghreb Union. He has more than 13 years in Large Infrastructure Management, including Highways and Expressways, his training most relate to Civil Engineering Engineer; IPMA Certificate of Project Management; and Quality Auditor and CE Certification ISO9001 V 2015.